I think Blood Mountain was actually better than Leviathan, but this one just seems to have lost a lot of the aggro. The clean vocals really do make a difference - the attack seems to have lost its bite a bit, and they've done that classic metal band starts liking pink floyd and prog trip. Which pretty much always ends in tears.

I dunno, it just washed over me. Which is not what a Mastodon record should do

That's a really strange comparison, I don't think there's a single moment on the record that brought them to mind. If anything it's got more of QOTSA vibe to it with the layered echoing backing vocal thing Homme loves so much weaving in and out of the riffs. But Kyuss? Nah.

I was wondering how long it was going to take before the first negative thread came along. I don't mean that in a snide way: I can see how the new less rampaging more chin stroking sound wouldn't work for a lot of people. As I said in t'other Crack the Shye thread this is gonna be their jumping-the-shark album for a lot of people. But not for me. I do hope they haven't left their bare chested savage days behind them for good but I really like this record. A lot more atmospheric and considered than their past output, but as career left turns go I'm enjoying this one.

I still think I prefer it to Blood Mountain - the melodic stuff gives it a neat classic rock vibe. The aggressive stuff didn't fit with the melodies so well coming off the back off the two intricate heavy heavy albums and the ep, but now it really works.

It's a great record, "The Last Baron" is an awesome closer. I don't think there's actually any point in comparing it to other Mastodon albums, it deserves to be seen as a seperate piece of work. The original posters Kyuss comment doesn't make any sense whatsoever, it sounds nothing like them.

To all the doubters: give it time and seperate it from their previous albums, you couldn't have expected Leviathan or Blood Mountain No.2, Mastodon will always try and do something different with every album.

And like I said somewhere up there I get why people aren't warming to this album. I just really don't get all the Kyuss talk in this thread. There's no comparison to be made. It's the originals poster's fault. Whatever you think of Crack the Skye to call it second rate Kyuss is just bewildering.

I only like the short catchy Mastodon ones like March Of The Fire Ants. The other ones not so much. Entirely the fault of ADD probably. Kyuss are cool as long as you ignore the lyrics and the John Garcia snake dancing

I haven't listened to much of their music. I was trying to say that you can't compare the two bands in terms of their sound, I'm pretty sure the two don't sound alike, despite my previously admitted lack of knowledge, concerning Kyuss.

it's admittedly not much, I just can't see how they can possibly sound alike. You can't always make judgements on a big batch of evidence. If I was to hear more Kyuss (which I should do really, I think that I might like them) then I'd be willing to change my opinion.

disagree more with the first post. This may be the best Mastodon album IMO. Sure if you need the instant gratification of songs like Blood and Thunder than it may seem to be a bit of a mis-step but I think its a much more mature album.

I'm for it. Mother Puncher is brilliant, Crusher Destroyer one of the best statements of intent I ever heard (I love the gonzo rock n'roll solo that jumps out of nowhere half way through) and March of the Fire Ants is just something else. There's just something horribly feral and terrifying about it.

Probably tied for second with Blood Mountain in my current album rankings, with Leviathon being first and Crack the Skye TBA.